Monday, March 19, 2012

DEYC 2012

Last week I spent 4 days in Tawau attending the annual Diocesan English Youth Camp. This year it was shifted to the March school break so that youths whom are preparing for SPM and PMR could get a chance to join as well. Cool? Perhaps not. Perhaps it was. This year we were blessed with 500+ campers, breaking records of previous years.

To be honest I didn't want to join youth camp this year. Main reason is because I think I'm a bit too old for it, and it's in Tawau. It's not that I hate to fly, but I have a 'thing' against Tawau. My previous visit to Tawau left me sick for weeks. Due to the weather and the bad condition of the area, I suffered from sore throat and flu after the trip. I was reluctant to go because of that but I ended up going so, no complaining.

Before the camp I prayed a simple prayer, asking God to answer them during the camp. One is to touch me like never before. I guess I grew distant from God last year, because of the exams and all the commotion. I didn't spend as much time as I should doing my devotion, and worshiping to me then was just an act, serving Him was a duty and I didn't like the feeling at all. So I asked God to bring me back to the point when I just knew Him, when I first experienced his love. And He did. God is great, no matter what. During the prayer sessions, praise and worship, even when I was in the room saying my prayers before I go to bed, I felt His presence. I felt Him just there right beside me. Even now after the camp I am still dumbstruck by it. Even now I can still feel His presence, and I like that feeling.

The second thing was to tell me what I should do in the future.While worshiping in one of the sessions I realized that the youths from our church praised and worshiped wholeheartedly. I could see that. They were singing, they were raising their hands, they had that hunger for the Lord. It wasn't just once, it was during every praise and worship session; it wasn't just one girl or one guy, it was each and every single youth. I questioned, how come they are able to worship like this here, but not in our own youth?

Being a worship leader, I sometimes see that our youth is a bit shy during the praise and worship session. Some girls sing but dare not raise their hands when they feel like it, some aren't even into the worship, some guys just stand there and give you a cold stare. For years I have been praying, but then nothing seemed to work. I want them to sing for God, to raise their hands and jump and shout to show their love to Him during P&W. I saw that during youth camp, but I want to see it in our youth fellowship as well. So I asked God, how can I bring this back home?

And then I heard it. God asked me to stay in youth. He knew that I wanted to go elsewhere to study. He knew that I wanted to leave KK and begin another journey in another place. But instead He told me to stay. Stay for youth, for the worship team. Finish what you have done, bring the team up, and I am there to back you up. When I heard Him asking me to stay I knew I had to take form six. It just registered instantly. It was then that everything started to fall in pieces. People around me telling me that I should stay, advising me to take form six even though they knew my answer was no, convincing me that is not something bad, my parents wanting me to stay as well. All along He has put people into my lives to tell me this but I have never ever take it into mind.

The first time I heard Him I was numb. I didn't want to believe it. Believe me, I couldn't sleep that night. The next day there was His voice again, and I knew that I have to obey.

Some people might not understand, might think that I'm rushing in my decisions and such. But then, I just want to obey, and I believe that He has plan for me. The best plan.

Okay enough of that, took some pictures during the camp.

Cotton candy

Our room.Towels for sale!

My luggage bag lmao

Before our 4pm flight, camwhored around the campsite. To kill time.

Sweating like pigs after cleaning up.Treating ourselves to ice-cream

epic phail. Tried to remake Woohyun's heart pose

Guys waiting in the disciplinary room

wow

This picture somehow reminds me of 2PM's CF shoot I saw years ago.But there is definitely no Taec in this picture